


A Cold Wind

by psiten



Series: SASO 2016 Fills [18]
Category: Chihayafuru
Genre: Challenge: Sports Anime Shipping Olympics | SASO 2016, Conversations, First Meetings, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Imperial Ghosts, Omi-Jingu, Short, no narration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2019-03-02 12:22:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13318005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psiten/pseuds/psiten
Summary: Original Prompt: A series of gifs showing Chihaya and Shinobu crossing paths at Omi Jingu for the first time.I wondered if the old Emperor who lives in the shrine was telling me to notice you. Old... Emperor What's His Name, who wroteThe autumn paddy. Kana-chan would be so mad at me for not remembering!





	A Cold Wind

**Author's Note:**

> Quite a lot of princes have been known as Takamatsu-no-miya in the history of the Japanese Imperial family, and for the life of me I could not figure out whether the Takamatsu-no-miya Memorial Cup on January 12-13 was named for a specific one, and if so, _which_ one... so the ghost in this is the first Takamatsu-no-miya, Yoshihito, seventh son of Emperor Go-Youzei, because that's my guess. If anyone can point me to better sources, in English or Japanese, let me know in the comments! I'll update the story/tags if I need to. Thanks!

The first time I saw you, I felt a cold wind blow through my bones. I wouldn't know until later that it was because I had a fever. (Talk about embarrassing!) But at the time, it felt like some kind of sign that I should remember your face. You walked, full of the same effortless pride that fills your game, down the pathway to the shrine -- past me on the steps -- and I wondered if the old Emperor who lives in the shrine was telling me to notice you. Old... Emperor What's His Name, who wrote _The autumn paddy_. Kana-chan would be so mad at me for not remembering!

Emperor Tenji, the patron god of Omi Jingu.

Right, that's the one.

~//~

     "Oh, and there she is!" Tenji said, pointing the fan he'd been holding to his lips as he waited. "The young Queen has come to play her respects. Quite a charmer, o-Shinobu-hime. Don't you think, Takamatsu?"

     Takamatsu-no-miya, as he used to be known (and still was, at the tournament they held in his honor each New Year) lounged in the seat of the Gods, looking out on the people who came forward to offer their prayers. He wouldn't frown at the girl, since he knew how serious a frown could be, but he wasn't that impressed either. "Her prayers never feel quite sincere. The one who just left was more interesting. O-Chihaya-hime, was it? Although if she'd asked for a miracle, I might have done something about that cold she's coming down with..."

     "She doesn't even know she has it, how would she have known to ask? At any rate, why should o-Shinobu-hime have a sincere prayer? She's never wanted anything she'd need to ask us for, and yet she pays her respects nonetheless. She prays for good fortune when she plays without needing it, and has never once understood what "fortune" is. Of course she doesn't seem sincere. It makes her no less charming."

     Shaking his head, Takamatsu-no-miya sighed his discontent. "I will never understand that preference, My Lord. But I will admit that you have it."

     As the girls passed each other, both gods saw the new one stop to look at the Queen.

     "Oh, now that's interesting. I do believe your o-Chihaya-hime felt the presence o-Shinobu-hime brings to bear on each match," Tenji laughed. "Do you think she's as good as she claims, then? Saying she and her team can handle winning for themselves?"

     "Well, My Lord, what would you say to a friendly wager? That someday my o-Chihaya-hime unseats your Young Queen?"

     "A decade of heavenly peaches."

     "A century."

     "Takamatsu, I believe we have a wager!"

~//~

Was that the first time we met? For the life of me, I can't remember it.

That's fine. We both remember everything else.


End file.
